Cult of Azurelith

Cult of Azurelith is a random encounter in Tales from the Tiers.

Transcript
You catch a hint of movement in the distance, little more than a shiver of shadow among the remnants of a village that clings to the edge of a pillar of stone. You remain far from both [Plainsgate| and Cacophony, so it seems unlikely that settlers or soldiers lurk among the ruins. Perhaps scavengers, raiders, or a rogue pack of Beastmen have made the crumbling buildings their home... Investigate further. Avoid the village. Adobe homes, cracked by the Overlord's Edict of Stone and bleached by the sun, rest in a loose semicircle around where you imagine a well or square once stood. Instead, the land ends abruptly, demarcating a plunge of hundreds of feet into the shadowed depths below. From the windows of several of the houses spills a faint violet light. Deciding to leave whatever resides in the ruins be, you offer the remains a wide berth as you continue on your journey. Investigate further. Leave. You move quietly nearer one of the buildings, using it as cover to see within the next house, the near wall of which has conveniently collapsed. Within you see a group of humans gathered around shards of Azurelith, the pale purple crystals that appeared throughout the Stone Sea in the wake of Kyros' Edict. As you get closer, you can see that they wear the bare minimum of clothing necessary to preserve their modesty, and their skin bears lines of light that shimmer purple against the darkness within the home. Investigate further. The people within the squat building seem wholly unaware of you, their attention entirely on a shrine of collected Azurelith shards that dominates the far corner. The lines of light on their skin seem to trace primitive runes which bear a distant semblance to the markings Beastmen sometimes carve into their skin. The people chant quietly, invoking Cairn, the fallen Archon of Stone, to restore their lands and deliver them from suffering. Attack the villagers. Speak to them. Leave. Taken by surprise, the Stone Sea denizens barely manage to raise pitchforks and falxes against you before you fall among them, your superior training and mystic power entirely overwhelming the outmatched villagers. Blood splatters the wall and pools on the floor, running along cracks in the floor to be absorbed by the thirsty stone. It's over in moments, and you stand victorious over the corpses of the fallen. You step into the open and hail the group, inspiring a commotion of startled cries and raised pitchforks. You offer your open, empty palms and consider what to say to them... Having had enough of these strange Azure dwellers, you creep away as quietly as you approached, leaving them be and unaware of your presence. You search the bodies for rings or other valuables, finding some hide and precious metals among the detritus. You leave the slaughter behind and abandon the village to continue your journey. Take the Azurelith. Leave it be. Taken by surprise, the Stone Sea denizens barely manage to raise pitchforks and falxes against you before you fall among them, your superior training and mystic power entirely overwhelming the outmatched villagers. Blood splatters the wall and pools on the floor, running along cracks in the floor to be absorbed by the thirsty stone. It's over in moments, and you stand victorious over the corpses of the fallen. You load your pouches and packs with as much of the purple crystal as you can carry, leaving behind the bloodier bits. You feel certain that your findings will interest your allies. You load your pouches and packs with as much of the purple crystal as you can carry, leaving behind the bloodier bits. You feel certain that your findings will interest your allies. You load your pouches and packs with as much of the purple crystal as you can carry, leaving behind the bloodier bits. You feel certain that your findings will interest your allies. You search the bodies for rings or other valuables, finding some hide and precious metals among the detritus. You leave the slaughter behind and abandon the village to continue your journey. You search the bodies for rings or other valuables, finding some hide and precious metals among the detritus. You leave the slaughter behind and abandon the village to continue your journey. You search the bodies for rings or other valuables, finding some hide and precious metals among the detritus. You leave the slaughter behind and abandon the village to continue your journey. Kills-in-Shadow crouches low at your side and quietly sniffs the air. "Stone Sea humans smell of Elderteeth, whisper of Stone Archon. Think Elderteeth will make humans strong - but does not." "What are you doing out here?" "Whether or not Cairn could help you aside, you know that this superstitious idolatry is wildly illegal, right?" "How many rings to purchase those crystals from you?" [Attack| "Enough of this - your life is forfeit." One of the villagers, a lanky man with stringy hair, steps forward. You notice that his skin seems dry and dusty, cracked in some places like the parched earth of the Stone Sea. His eyes shimmer with violet light, but it may only be a reflection from the Azurelith. "We commune with the Man of the Mountain. He grants us his boons and protects us from the cruelties of this place. He shall come to us in time, to save us from the Overlord's tyrannical yoke!" The other villagers nod in agreement. The tall man smirks. "We care not for the laws of the foreign invaders." The villagers gape at you, aghast. "We would never sell the gifts of the Man of the Mountain! No amount of rings could convince us!" "Eventually someone from Cacophony will wander this way. If the Scarlet Chorus finds you here, it won't go well for you." "Do you mind if I join you?" [Leave| "Farewell." The strange villagers make no move to stop you as you leave them behind. [To Sirin:| "Can you take care of this?" The Archon of Song grins wickedly. "Much better they worship me, right?" Even as she finishes the sentence, her voice is rising into a sustained musical harmony, somehow vocalizing multiple notes at once. The villagers turn their unfocused gazes to her and slowly set aside their crystals. "I have them. What should I do with them?" "The Man of the Mountain shall protect us. Already he grants us his favor." Eyes wide with surprise, the villagers invite you into their circle. They paint your features with crushed crystal, and as you meditate on the quiet violet light, you feel a warmth spread from your bones into your skin. You leave the villagers behind, feeling hardened against the dangers of the Tiers. [Conscript them] "Cacophony is just to the east of here. Gather your things. The Voices of Nerat will be excited to meet you." "Go to Stone Down Gorge and tell the Stonestalkers there that I sent you." A murmur rises among the villagers. "To the Beasts?" one asks, voice quavering. [Lie| "It will be an easy life, and they'll treat you like kings." "It'll be tough, but if this is how you want to live, this is the best way to do it." The villagers nod solemnly, gather the crystals and supplies that they can carry, and embark in the direction of Stone Down. You continue on your journey. The villagers look to one another, fear in their eyes, but they bow to your will and gather their crystals and belongings for the short trudge to Cacophony. You continue on your journey, confident that the Archon of Secrets will find some use for these wretches. Enslave them for the Disfavored. Conscript them for the Chorus. Recruit them into your coalition. Send them to the Stonestalkers. Send them to [Plainsgate|. The villagers nod in time with Sirin's song and gather their belongings for the long journey to [Plainsgate|. You leave them to continue your journey. Hope alights in the villager's eyes as they nod in time to Sirin's anthem. They gather their gear for the long journey to your Spires. Confident that they will be utilized in your war effort, you continue your journey. The villagers nod in time with Sirin's song, their expressions vacant. They gather their belongings for the long march to Iron Hearth, and you continue on your journey, confident that these villagers will be put to use by the Disfavored. Take the Azurelith. Take the Azurelith. Continue... Continue... Continue... Continue... The people within the squat building seem wholly unaware of you, their attention entirely on a shrine of collected Azurelith shards that dominates the far corner. The lines of light on their skin seem to trace primitive runes which bear a distant semblance to the markings Beastmen sometimes carve into their skin. The people chant quietly, invoking Cairn, the fallen Archon of Stone, to restore their lands and deliver them from suffering. Continue...